Creativity and Innovation (in collaboration with Cardiff University)

when
30 June 2018
-
14 July 2018

language
English

duration
2 weeks

credits
3 ECTS

fee
EUR 1150

Innovation and creativity are the key drivers of success in many industries today. They fuel the uptake of new technologies, the development of products and services and the formulation of strategies to secure competitive advantage. Truly innovative ideas can create new markets and boost a firm’s value or even transform its entire business model. But how do you propagate a culture of innovation? How do you tell which creative ideas are right for an organization? And how do you manage them effectively?

Organized in collaboration with Cardiff University, Wales, this course guides you through the minefield of creativity and innovation in the corporate environment. By introducing new ways of perceiving, understanding and approaching these aspects of the business matrix, it shows how they can make a real difference to the organization, to the market and to the bottom line.

The Creativity and Innovation course is taught by an international team with a strong management background as well as excellent academic credentials. Your lecturers boast ample real-life business experience through their consultancy work. Moreover, the course incorporates a unique hands-on assignment, the in-company boot camp, developed with and hosted by a corporate partner from the VU Amsterdam network.

The Netherlands became 9th in the 2016 Global Innovation Index, produced annually by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.

Course leader

Dr. Mirella Kleijnen

Target group

Students and professionals with an interest in creativity and innovation, especially from Business and Organization Studies, Economics, Social Sciences, Social Psychology, Healthcare, Media and Communication Studies, Engineering, Technology Management, Operations Management and Education. Our courses are multi-disciplinary and therefore are open to students and professionals with a wide variety of backgrounds.

Course aim

At the end of the course you will:
•Understand the role of innovation from a marketing strategy perspective.
•Understand innovation processes and the role of creativity within them.
•Understand and be able to apply the basics of design thinking.
•Be able to identify, analyse and explain an effective, creative concept leading to an innovation success.
•Be able to apply theoretical concepts, frameworks and models to cases, illustrations and examples.
•Understand individual and group creative processes.
•Be able to form an innovative team and you will understand the challenges inherent to its management.

Credits info

3 ECTS
Contact Hours: 45
If you want to earn more credits you can take courses in our other sessions to create a 4 or 6 week programme.

An early bird discount of €150 is available for students who apply and pay before 15 March, and students from VU Amsterdam as well as from exchange partner universities will receive a €250 discount. You apply for the discount simply by indicating that you are currently a student at VU Amsterdam or at a partner university in the online application.

There are also discounts for students who attend multiple sessions, combine 2 courses and receive a €200 discount and combine 3 to receive a €300 discount. All courses include excursions. We will also organize trips and excursions as part of our social programme, which is a great way to get to know your fellow students and learn more about Amsterdam and the Netherlands. The social programme is not included in the tuition fee.

Furnished accommodation is available. Various housing options will be offered.

Scholarships

The VU Amsterdam Summer School offers ten scholarships that cover the full tuition and housing fees of one course. Information about how to apply for the scholarship will be posted on the VU Amsterdam Summer School website.